Tooth scaling

Dental hygienist scaling a patient's teeth

Tooth scaling involves the mechanical use of a dental instrument that scrapes away bacterial plaque and calculus from the tooth. Sometimes this device may be electric, known as an ultrasonic or sonic scaler. Scaling is performed on the part of the tooth that is exposed above the gum line (the part of the tooth you can see). This area is known as the coronal or "crown" of the tooth